After the Storm
IV – Extremely Optimistic
Elizabeth shot upright, heart pounding and eyes darting around the unfamiliar surroundings. Kolya, one arm wrapped painfully around her waist, was dragging her toward the Stargate. And then there was the shot.
There was a gentle knock on the door. "Doctor Weir?"
Major Sheppard. He had shot Kolya. He had saved her. And, she now remembered, he had helped her get through the night.
"Come in, Major," she said, pulling the blanket tighter to her body. It was warm, and the room was very cool.
The door slid open and Sheppard entered the room, squinting in the early morning sunlight that streamed in through the window. "Did I wake you?"
Elizabeth shrugged. "It's all right."
"Bad dream?"
She shrugged again. "What time is it?"
"Almost time for people to start returning." He offered her the bundle he carried. "I had Teyla get these for you."
Elizabeth rose, tiptoeing across the cold floor, and took the bundle of clean, dry clothes. "Thank you."
Sheppard shrugged. "Sure."
She examined him closely for a moment. His shoulders were slumped, there were bags under his eyes, and his hair was more disheveled than normal. "Have you slept, Major?"
"Not yet. But if you don't mind, I'm taking the rest of the day off once we get everybody back."
Elizabeth smiled. "Of course."
John smiled back. "Well, I'll go dial Manera and let the team know we're ready for them to come home."
Ten minutes later, Elizabeth entered the 'Gate room to find Zelenka and Bates mopping the floor.
"What's going on?" she asked, being careful not to step on the newly cleaned floor.
"Major Sheppard thought it best if there weren't blood stains everywhere when the civilians returned," Bates said.
"They must all know by now what has happened," Zelenka complained. "Why does it matter? This is killing my back." Elizabeth got the impression that the Marine was doing most of the actual work.
"Where is the Major?" Weir asked.
"Up there," Zelenka grunted, jerking his head toward the control center before he returned to mopping.
Elizabeth climbed the stairs to find John sitting at the dialing computer, his feet propped up on the console's edge. "You can go to bed, if you want to," she said.
"Not until everyone's back. Just in case."
Elizabeth nodded, folding her arms. "Why is it so cold in here?"
"Because somebody," he began, throwing a theatrical glare at her, "left the balcony door open all night."
"Oh," she said, with a small, embarrassed smile.
"It's okay," Sheppard replied. "Life support was offline, so we needed the fresh air."
Elizabeth nodded at that logic, watching the men below continue cleaning. While Bates was working his hardest to make the floor shine, Zelenka was preoccupied with examining the blisters that might have been forming on his palms.
"Thanks for last night," Elizabeth said.
John opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a loud clatter followed by a string of profanity.
"Rodney?" Elizabeth asked, turning to find the scientists picking his steel mug up off the floor. A dark stain ran down his left leg.
"I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say…" he trailed off, staring wide-eyed at the two of them. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to his empty mug. "That was the last cup too. I'm gonna have to go brew another pot."
Sheppard couldn't help smiling at the murderous glares the scientist threw at the mug. "Why don't you go get yourself some breakfast while you're at it."
"I've still got to-"
"Zelenka can handle it," Sheppard interrupted.
McKay considered that briefly. "Well, okay."
Elizabeth smiled as McKay hurried away. Sheppard looked up at her, amused. "He gets cranky when he hasn't eaten in a while. Well," he added, "crankier than normal."
Her smile turned into a full-blown grin. Things were going to be just fine.